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This is the Players Lounge, broadcasting live from Dallas Cowboys World headquarters at the Star. Now your hosts Darry Church, Danny McCrae, Heckma Harrison, and new he Scruggs.
It's a hop day on the Player's Lounge here at the headquarters of none other than the Dallas Cowboys. This is the Players Lounge and you're now rocking with the best. I'm Heckmharrison and you know the guy the national championship winner.
Did you want a state champion championship? I did.
I lost in the state championship and ironically I lost to Tyler Lee in the state championship and the surround black was the offens alarnement there pretty much changed the game for us.
He went the l s U.
So when I got there, he had his ring on and all this stuff. Yeah, but my happy Yeah, you're a little person. Yeah, the person the former safety of the Dallas Cowboys, my man Daddy McCray is in the building.
Yeah. So basically we got abandoned.
Yeah. Yeah, listen, when people get booked and they get busy and they get busy. That's what happens. Man, That's it's all good. It's all good. We got an incredible show. We got We're gonna talk ball. We got a lot of stuff to get into. We're gonna break down this Rams or we're gonna we're going Rams defense Cowboys offense. So I know my mad d Mac been in the film room checking out the Rams offense. But look, man,
the Rams defense. But man, like we start all the time. Man, I want to know what's good with you, how your day going, what's happening with you, what's on your mind? I'm good man, you know, like I enjoy uh when we start approaching the holiday seasons, right, do you the Thanksgivings where I get the fried the turkey fried of turkey and then Chris come like I enjoyed that. And then the weather, you know what I'm saying against chill, like the wear my jackets, send them the boots and
all like I enjoyed that. So I looked at the weather thing for next week. It looks like we might be dropping down into the forties after some rain. And it gets me excited because you know what also comes with that gumbo gumbo, you know what I'm saying. So I gotta I gotta go. I got some root ready, So yeah, I'm doing good though you know you're not talking about look like it's a vegetable gumbo, okay, obeying, Just let me let.
Me imagine that it's a crab leg and there.
Well it's cold, man, this is you know, this is the hardest time of the year for me because you think about all the things I grew up traditionally eating. Don't they don't have nothing for me, man, they don't have nothing for me. I'm the guy to show up with his own dishes. Stay out of that aisle in the grocery store where it is the chicken but the c H I C k apostrophe. N don't bring that to the cookout now, don't nobody. Don't nobody. Won't my
impossible burder. We don't want impossible. It's impossible for exactly exactly. Well, you know what, as you bring all of that up man, the holiday season, man, and all the food that's gonna be cooked, it's gonna be some stuff that's missing some ingredients. And we need to talk about the ingredients of this. Dallas Cowboys football team. Man, this is a lot of things approaching, man, But this is a very important game.
As we talked about yesterday, another NFC would you come to the NFC West Invitational?
This is another team from the NFC.
West that we have to This is we gotta get this one, you know, and every week you gotta get it. But when you look at this Cowboys offense versus the Rams defense, what are some of the challenges matchups wise? What are you looking for in this game so far
on tape from the offense? Man, The unfortunate part about it is because well, since our our wide receiver group has not been as effective as we at hope, then I'm not sure if you can just give the tilt to us just because of the talent that we have or think that we have against any defense at this point, because we haven't really done much against any of the defenses that we played to where you've seen a game where we had three one hundred yard receivers or two
of them with one hundred and the other one with some big time catches. We haven't seen that happen. So when I'm starting to look at how do our teams go up against or compare against other squads in the league. When I look at our receiver group, it's hard for me to put them above any other secondary just because we haven't really seen that type of production. S Yeah,
CD LAMB every other game or so. You may see them with a hundred yards, but as far as like, hey man, that's the dominant force, we haven't seen that yet.
So when I'm looking at the Rams, I'm like, yeah.
Their secondary doesn't look how it used to look, especially when they went to the Super Bowl. But our receiver corps hasn't produced to make them fear us either, So they're looking at us saying, all right, well they put them on the numbers, look at the stats, guys, all right, this should be a group that we should be able to be productive against. So when you're looking at the Rams defense, to me, I think that's kind of a
toss up. Aaron Donald is the guy, like the difference maker on the squad, especially with our offensive line who hasn't really played together much this season. Like that, like, where they gonna put Aaron Donald, How effective is he going to be? Can you stop them? If you stop them, then you have a chance. If you don't, we know
that he can wreak the game. But let's say let's stay right there with the wide receiver group, all right, because this is a group that when coming into the season the pickup of Brandon Cooks, you were excited about that pickup.
You thought that that would be the difference.
You look now over on the other side for the Rams, their secondary is Derrian Kendricks, Jordan Fuller, Rush Yeast, and Kobe Durant.
I know, I know, and I get what you're saying. I get what you're saying.
It's not that they are juggernauts by any means, but you're looking at yourself and you being realistic with yourself, Like when I look at us, I don't see those jugger knots because we haven't produced to this point. But when you come up against a group like this, do you say to yourself, okay, wide receivers, this is it if you can't get it right here, because they don't have no names out here that you would get necessarily even be intimidated by. I mean you usually would, right,
but you will say that when you go play against Arizona. True, Like you when you go out west and you play against Arizona, you say, hey, man, this one of them stats games. Okay, we need to make sure that we get our stats up, and then for some reason it doesn't, it doesn't show up on the sheet at the end of the game. So yeah, when I'm going into the game, I'm saying, yeah, we should be able to eat against them, because I do still have faith in Brandon Cooks because
of what I've seen with him. What time proven consists that I've seen that from him, so I know he still has it in them. And then based off what happened last game where Dak was being creative and elusive and making sure he extended plays, I think that is what helps out a guy like Brandon Cooks because the scramble drill is real, especially when you got speed and a vet who knows where these guys are going to
be at and where they're going. So I think if Dak continues to play like he did in the last game.
Before the bye week against the Charges and Helen Moore and.
Those guys play, continues to take shots down the field, then yes, this is a group where you say, Okay, our receiver should go out here and they should be excited about what they see with the Rams. But we just haven't seen it, so I'm not gonna let myself. I'm not gonna let myself feel that way and come on until I said I'm not, I'm not.
My hope, my hopium is in.
It's in Brandon Cooks that that that you go into the bye weekend, you say, hold on, wait before the Chargers game, the man had five games seventy two yards, like, what what are we doing and what do we need to do to get him more involved in the game, because the turn on the film before he gets here and you see that he can be productive, especially if you put him in the right situation. So hopefully during this bye week they said, hey, man, we got that's
the guy like that on our offense. Okay, we got ce d Lamb. We know we can get him there, but that's the guy that we that's gonna be our X factor.
If we can get him going, then our whole offense is then Roland.
So here's another point that I want to bring up about this this game coming up versus the Rams, because I think you can go back and just only really late to what we see on the film. Go back to last week the Pittsburgh Steelers on offense Kenny Pickett, second year quarterback. It didn't have any touchdowns, but he did have he was he was seventeen for twenty five two hundred and thirty yards, no interceptions, no tds.
But you look at what their receiving group did.
George Pickens, very talented wide receiver, second year, five catches one hundred and seven yards. So I think if you're Ceedee Lamb, you're like five catches one oh seven. Those are numbers that I can put up. Deontate Johnson also did have five catches for seventy nine yards. Okay, so and that's probably somebody on your family. I actually got it. He was on my r and that I had to release something that I see it. And so five catches
seventy five yards for Dante Johnson. And this is a wide receiver where you're saying for a guy like Brandon Cooks, if you get that same kind of production, then that definitely has to have you excited about getting a w at home versus Los Angeles.
Yeah, I mean, does.
I think the thing with that that Pittsburgh still his team is at the end of the game, they just come alive, right and like all of a sudden, like the first few the first few quarters, Najie Harris isn't doing much and the receivers aren't doing much, and then all of a sudden, you know, they kind of show up.
So it's a little tricky with them. And then also when you look at those two receivers, I think comparable to the talent that we have here when you look at look at those two just specifically Deonsay Johnson was coming off of injury on O R. And you knew that they were missing that piece. But I think that is that is the most important part about it, right to say, Okay, that's why you need two of them.
That's why Brandon Cooks then has to be the X factor because I think that opened it up for everybody else and then allowed them to then get those exposed plays. But if you only have one guy, then you like you find yourself, you know, running up into a wall with Tony Paul and then getting double teams out there with Ceedee Lamb. Well, this is the other part that you were bringing it up, but I cut you off
because I wanted to finish the wide receiver group. But when you look at the offensive line, let's go up to Dallascown Boys offensive line. We finally got Tyron Smith back healthy. Tyler Smith is healthy, Tyler Battish, Jack Martin, the Iron Man, and Terrence Steele, all of these guys playing together finally at home, and Aaron Donald comes to town. We know that Aaron Donald is a matchup nightmare. I don't care how old he is whatever, He's still one
of the best in the business. But other than that, other than that, I'm just saying, like, this is a Los Angeles Rams defense that is kind of middle of the pack. I think they're like thirteen to fourteenth in the league right now, so not even considered to be one of your elite defenses. But then you talked yesterday about this running game having to get Tony Pollard.
Has to get his touches, he has to get his Carris.
He had a big game in twenty twenty two versus the Rams, but that was also with z Yeah, that was also with Zeke. Okay, come on, that was also Withy, so we got to keep that real. But then you have Aaron Donald that also had two sacks in that game. So offensively, when you look at your front line and what you have need to do coming off of a bye week and you have number ninety nine in front
of you. What is your matchup nightmare in this situation or what are you saying, Look, we have to win this particular battle to make sure that we get.
This running game going.
Listen, I see Aaron Donald lining up on the right defensive side of the ball often, which is our left offense. So over Tyler, Tyler, and then okay is who I'm Okay, that's where I'm going to see him lining up at And that's that's where you got to make some noise. Some of the double teams you might have to trap them, but you got to figure out a way to disrupt
him and make sure he doesn't wreck your game. I think the tricky thing about our offensive line is is also, Okay, they haven't played together much, right, these five, right, but you looking at it and you saying, Okay, we got our best five offensive linemen together playing coming off of
bye week. Help, everything should be good. But some of our best games so far this season was when they weren't playing together exactly so so Tomy Dogu was in so the same thing of when last year when we were talking about Mike McCarthy, like now it's your turn to call play, So then it's all on you. We'll figure out how good you are calling places. Same thing with the offensive line. We've been saying how good we believe we can be with our full offensive line together
and healthy. Now we'll get to see that because the truth of the matter is, we have no idea.
No, we don't know. We don't know if we.
Have one of the top offensive lines in the league went healthy or if they just middle of the pack and we just been waiting for you know, whatever it is that comes out there, right. But I know early in the season Tony POLLAWOODI in fifty nine yards or fifty two yards, he was like we were moving the ball, and somehow once we got healthy, it seemed like that kind of has gone away. So we'll get to see it. But that's where the challenge is for me, Danny, like,
that's up front. They have to take this particular matchup personal because Aaron Donald is gonna line up over Tyler Smith and that's where he had those two sacks. It was on Tyler at the end and the other left tackle that and I think he was the other guy that Peters. I think Peters at the time. But yeah, yeah, yeah, But then you also have to remember that Cooper Rush was a quarterback for that game. And it's kind of
eerie the way that this Rams game sets up. It sets up the same way that did it did last season. If you remember, we went it to Sofi Stadium, played the Rams, and who did we have next week?
Philly? It's I mean today Jafu all over.
Again caught fourteen minutes into okay, fourteen minutes into little before he mentioned the Philadelphia Eagles. I'm just I'm just trying to get you into the mind of the locker room and everybody just saying that, hey, we played the Rams last year this time and then we went right over to Philly. But the point that I'm making though, is too that Dak Prescott didn't play in that game
last year versus the Rams. That was Cooper Rush with that victory last season, I think twenty two ten something like that was the victory.
But either way you pull that, you pull it out.
It was a defensive battle and you get you get the running game going.
This is that part in the game for me.
I think it's pivotal if you don't get the running game going. That's what's gonna make everything that much harder. And it is, and it is. I just I don't feel as comfortable with the running game as I did prior to the season. And I think, you know, everybody want to Zeke the Zeke that I don't think it's specifically Zeke, but I think it is specifically having that one two punch and being able to have a guy who on third and short will make sure he gets
those tough yards beat up the defense. So then when Tony Parler comes in, they're a little bit slower, or they're a little bit more confused, they thinking a little bit more than those explosive plays happened. But I think without Zeke being here, we haven't been able to see that. That's why to me, the more onus is the second part of our running game is Dak Prescott. So the power component to your running the power component is any
other component deposit of what Tony Pollard specializes in. Right, Like, does the defense have anything else to think about except what are the best schemes that Tony Poler runs the ball in? But now, but now, if you add a guy like Dak Prescott in who gives gives you that extra dimension of saying, Okay, well maybe he may run the ball. I think that is probably your next part of your running game, because it's not gonna be Zeke.
I don't think we have one of those thumpers like Ezekiel Elliott here on our prontid Like I said, I don't think we have one of those. No, and that's no shot at him, Like, let's be real about it. Zeke was a He was a difference maker. He was a different type of runner when he came to punishing offensive line offense, defensive linemen and linebackers to where they started to fill it in the third quarter, like I don't want to tackle this dude, no.
More, right, Like we don't have that.
But when you want your running game to be a little bit more dynamic and not just one dimension of like just handed it to Tony Pollard, you know, in between the tackles, Dak Prescott's your gout. Give me a number. Give me a number. At the end of the night. If you're looking at this number of the Cowboys win the game rushing rushing yards one one fifty, one fifty. You haven't had one fifty based off based off of our passing Okay, wow, in the previous games besides the
last one which we only scored twenty points. Yeah, but yeah, based on based on that, Yeah, listen, we want to come out of the Bay Week re establishing what Mike McCarthy said this offense was going to be. We are going to run the ball and play defense, all right, coming out of the Bay.
Week, that should be reinforced.
So I'm looking at one hundred and fifty yards and that's that is with Dak Prescott running a little bit more. That is also with Tony Pollard running the ball as well. Okay, so numbers wise, give me, give me a number. TP gotta have what I'm giving the four yards to carry probably eighteen carries around around one hundred around un around. Let's go one on five for TP. The EO one O five TP. Dak is say about we think got
about thirty five thirty six someone. So you said Dak running, Yeah, it's running that you bring it back the whole schools.
Think about a quarterback position.
So third and twelve, right, somebody runs cover one, everybody turned their back, that takes off.
That's an easy twelve, right.
But but it happens every game when you have those mobile quarterbacks of like they getting them in chunks. It's not necessarily that getting five yards per care he should he should be making a difference with his legs. So now defensive coordinators have to call something different when now we got a spy on Oh, now we can't run a certain defense because if he breaks out the pocket, we're in trouble. Like that is that is the dimension that we need Dak to add to this offense.
Man, I'm look, I'm hoping for that. I want that.
We just haven't seen that, and that's what we've been begging for. That's what you've been begging for. That's what you've been talking about weekend and week out. Dak run the ball. I think we first we saw that last week on the RPO that he took in for a touchdown, longest touchdown of his career that we've seen.
So, man, if that's the DAC that can.
Emerge to get the Cowboys running game going up, man one fifty, im with that. But I'll tell you what, We're gonna take a break, take our first break, and when we come back, we're gonna talk about what Jerry said.
Jerry saying a lot man Jerry got a lot going on.
In this weekly radio interview on one O five three, we'll talk about that and we talk about what Micah is talking about coming up next Here on the Players Lounge.
I'm Dak Prescott, quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, and they snapped.
The press scout who looks right, it's not there. He escapes left. He'll look for a per Styn.
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all black. Hey man, team you killed hold on now when we was in the break, okay, we got we had one like one twenty three, one thirty two.
Yeah, you said one fifty in Arizona?
How many how many visityods head against Arizona seventy one and eighty five?
We had one eighty five.
Tony Pauler twenty three carries, one hundred and twenty two yards, Dak Press got three carries for twenty four yards. Ric o'donald uh four carrias for twenty one and then you know, nine and nine, so it's possible. But but then ceede lamb had like one you catch for nine yards, so you got if you could put them both together. Heck, but one fifty is not outlandish. I'm just hey, man, you went out on the limb. I just wanted to know.
I got right, got on fire, we lost, we got one. I want to know.
I'm like, hey man, come on, man, we wish it on the start to say I know I'll be with the hopium. But that just killed me though, because I'm like, if we leave with one fifty, we won. We went out there and got smoked by Arizona and got one hundred and eighty five yards rush. Your best output, your best output. You did absolutely nothing back in. Actually here on the players lounges, myself and Danny McCrae is the player in the building. BC is on the World Tour
right now. You know, kissing babies and shaking hands.
You know this is my man. You know that's he do. That's what he knew.
It didn't go pass by the golf course on his way on his way to the crib and knew he is handling all things World Series right now. So it's just me and my man d mac. We're gonna handle it. It took me fourteen minutes, though, and I think you should be proud of me, because the over under would have been somewhere around five to ten minutes. I would have said something by Philly, but I didn't do it.
For ten and a half.
I was right, man. You know I could wait, and you know I can't wait. I don't even know why you're.
Playing with me. So so whe are we going with this?
Man?
All right? Where we're going with this? All right?
So Jerry Jones Jerry Jones was on one of five to one of five to three the Fan for his weekly radio show where he was talking about the deadline, and everybody's found it quite interesting. But you, as a formal player, I want to know what you think about this, And basically he said, it'll have to come our way. The initiation of an opportunity to make a trade at this time that would help us principally has to start on the other.
End, meaning another team.
Is going to have to contact him and say, hey, I think I have a wide receiver that can make you a Super Bowl contender.
You want him? Listen.
I respect what Jerry said. That situation, okay, because as we talked about yesterday. If I'm looking at our roster, the two positions that I would try to upgrade if I had the opportunity to, would be deeping some lines yesterday.
As you're going around looking at.
The lead, does Jerry and them see anybody where it's like, Okay, we really want to go out on a limb and start offering up pieces for a guy like do we feel like we're that bad at the position that was the ideal world if we have to upgrade?
Do I trust on our defensive line? Yeah?
I think that we have a good enough defensive line to get us to where we want to go.
Could it be better? Absolutely?
But I'm definitely like Jerry, I ain't going out there and asking a whole bunch of folks, Hey man, hey, we look for something, what you got for me?
I'm not gonna do that.
But I will as he said, he will entertain, He'll entertain, He'll entertain. But that lets you know how confident Jerry is in his current squad. All right, I'm not talking. Okay, so you you know, but you good?
You see what he just did?
You know, because you know what I know, Danny, you don't feel like that because you watch too much football and you're looking at the he also said he also said that, and I'm paraphrasing, basically, he wouldn't put himself in the Philadelphia Eagles or San Francisco forty nine or conversation. But he's like, we are in the top echelon. Yeah,
that's what happened when you get by San Francisco like that. Okay, Now, is that an admission that we are not on the same cali as a feeling, I mean, because one way or another, you're gonna end you're gonna have to deal with a team like that.
Yeah.
I don't think he meant talent wise, though. I think he meant like, right now, our team is not clicking on the on all cylinders like those teams were, especially San Francisco when they played us. But then we've seen what's happened in San Francisco, and I bet at that point he's like, yeah, look at them, they lost two straight, not us. But I think he's just talking about where our team, where we are as a team right now, not necessarily what pieces we have, because they did make some trades.
In the off season.
Okay, you got Stefan Gilmore, you got Brandon because it's not like they haven't done anything. But unless that less that guy becomes available, yeah, they're not itching to do nothing. Just think about our current defensive line. I don't think it's an issue health wise at our linebacker position. Is where where you kind of you kind of hold your breath because you have no idea, like one more injury and then you're trying to figure out where you're going.
But who, like you can't name anybody, but who who you going to reach out to a team about? Okay, so and what do you and what are you to give up right right right now? No? I get it, I get it, But I guess what I'm asking you as a guy that's been in an NFL locker room that has played against the opposition, You've been out there and right now this team is thinking, man, we look better on paper than we actually do on the field, or we still got some more bond and some more
jeling to do. Are you, as a as a general manager and owner of a team saying all right, I've got an opportunity after eight weeks to see what's in the NFL and what's in the NFC. My team is missing this because you can't look at this team right now, all fifty three. It's say, all right, this, this, this, this roster can take us all the way to lawsuit. I'm telling listen, I'm being honest with you, bro, I
think just based off what has been happening in the league. Okay, you go in to San Francisco and you get embarrassed, right, and you're like, Okay, we can't compete with them, guys, not right now. And then San Francisco goes and loose is too straight and they lose to Minnesota most recently, and you said, are we a better team than Minnesota? Okay, do you believe we have, especially without Justin Jefferson, do
we have more than Minnesota has? So so that gives you the opportunity to say, okay, let's chalk this up to all right, they were the better team that day, and we still have an opportunity just like these two teams that beat them. Who we believe that we're better than. We believe that we better than? Was it the Jets and the who beat them before? Cleveland? Cleveland offensively? Especially right? And then you look at No. Justin Jefferson on the
Minnesota Vikings. Do we believe that we're better than them looking at the roster. Yeah, So do we believe that we should be able to beat San Francisco just based off of that? Or do we need to go, you know, offer up some pieces to go get somebody who's gonna make us that much better. I think as you're looking at the NFL season, especially with injuries see Christian McCaffrey, Deebo, Samuel Trent Williams, you see how that stuff can happen. That's why I don't think you go do anything crazy.
I think, yeah, but now we are in the eight minutes until that, I'm going to bring up Philly. All right, come on in, I'll been wait. Come on, don't make me do it now now, don't make me do it.
Yeah. I think I think we match up.
Come on, come on, we match up better with the Philadelphia Eagles team than we do uh.
San Francisco forty nine erty Okay.
I think that scheme that Shanahan ran against us, especially with some young guys out there, with the pulling guards and the misdirection and stuff. I think that was just something that like if we don't get that figured out and we see San Francisco again, we probably have the same result. But no, like not many other teams running that type of scheme. And I think, let me see line online. Okay, our healthy offensive line, like I said, we haven't really seen, but we expect them to be
able to hold up against Philadelphia's exact defensive line. Like they're gonna get some wins. We'll get some wins. Our secondary, I think we we I think we should be able to hold up. Just just with dron Bland his ability to turn the ball over steph On Gilmore. We can say he lost his step or not, but he's still Steph f On Gilmore. So he not just about to go out there and get chopped up by nobody like that is what I believe about the steph On Gilmore.
So I believe our defense will be able to hold up and offensively, like I said, if we find a way to run the ball and be a little bit more creative with how we use that, get them out on the edge, extend some plays. I think we match up better with them than we do against It's obvious though, because we'd have got beat by this team three times in a row. Absolutely absolutely, And look, Danny, here's where
I am with it. I think after eight weeks of being able to look around and seven weeks of football, I see some teams that are really good. And to me, Philadelphia, just with the games that they've pulled out and it's been a really bad performance and they won the game, I'm like, wow, Now that's how you get behind your defense, and that's how you that's how you put Now that the Jets lost, even in that it was a close game.
They fought all the way to the end, but they lost to Zach No no no, And I'm and I ain't. I'm not giving no excuses. That was a horrible loss. Okay, it's fact. Okay, that's a bad loss, but also to a great defense that showed up and carried the team.
I look around at.
This ross and I'm just saying, like, man, San Francisco, Yes, scheme to boot defense.
All the dogs that they have over there.
But when I look at my team and this, just to comparing contrast, I'm like, there is something that's missing from my.
Team where they missing it?
At what I'm trying to get you there, But I'm telling you, I'm okay, I'm okay with it, just based off what we what we expect to see one coming with a new offense and Mike mccarthur and them coming off for bid week and all that stuff, Like I expect the offense to be better.
Okay, I just I just expect to be better. Devil's advocate here we go. Hear about you? All right? So you can make your wide receiver group. I didn't know you was going, had you? You could make your wide receiver group better.
At the potential third wide receiver position, you can do something that could at least inject some separation, some speed from have no names, but you can get that. Would you take advantage of that right now? Especially with contracts, everything that you have that's gonna make your offense better. That's whide receiver is a position running back. You just talked about Mike McCarthy in the way that he wants
to run the ball. The thunder lightning aspect, You have a bunch of lightning, but you don't have no thunder all right, would you be I mean, it's a lot of.
Names that's been thrown around. Would you do that as well? What?
It just depends on what you got to give up for some of these folks, Like I'm not giving up a whole bunch of nothing for any of the names that I've been hearing. I'm just not willing to do it. Like I said, I think, I don't think our talent at wide receiver has been the issue. Like I'm a stand on that. I don't believe. I didn't believe it when Amari Cooper was here and he wouldn't produce and you gotta get rid of them. I didn't believe it then, and I damn sure don't believe it now, all right,
because we know he's still productive. I think we just have to find a way to use our weapons. Brandon Cooks is still one of the fastest guys in the league, I believe, so we should find a way. We should find a way to utilize his speed and take advantage of the mismatches that they didn't have on the defense.
We just haven't done that.
And another fast guy coming in here ain't gonna help because you might be in the same situation. How are we going to then use their speed on offense if we're not doing it, We're just not doing it, So scheme wise, you're saying, scheme wise, even if we were to bring in said player, he may not help us. In our situation because we don't have a scheme that is going to accentuate the talents that he and we haven't done it.
And we haven't done it because of the personnel that we have. No, I don't.
We've gone into this, Hey, we're gonna lean on our defense and run the football, and we haven't. Like I said, we haven't stretched the field as much as we had, hope, right with a guy like Ceedee Lamb who we know construct the feel, Michael Gallup who we know construction the f and Brandon Cooks, who we just said is one of the fastest players in the NFL. We have to be and we can't find a way to stretch to
feel with those three guys. You ain't gonna find a way to stress to feel with anybody except maybe Tyre alright, alright, fast, Like I don't know other than that Brandon Cooks is up there with with that second tier of guys behind Tyreek Hill. No, man, I absolutely like, I here's my my trust factor in what you're saying, Especially when when I look at Tyrek Hill, his speed is just on
another level. It don't matter where you put him. You can put him in the slot you can put him in a running back, you can motion him, you could do whatever you have to do with him. He is a viable threat no matter where he is. It's first six games. They didn't figure out how to use Brandon Cooks until last week. Whose fault is that? No, No, I'm
not fault. I'm just I'm just I'm just putting it out, Okay, that they haven't figured out a way to use this quote unquote guy that is a thousand yard receiver in his sleep. We haven't seen it, all right, we haven't seen it, Michael gall the separation in there. So if you have an opportunity to make the team better in any way, I think you have to go out there
and get it. Because if you look at okay, let's look at the Philadelphia Eagles, A J. Brown, Davonte Smith, I mean dog, hold on, wait, hold on, way tell me so we I forget the guy's name went off against San Francisco with Justin Jefferson out, Oh yeah.
Number three? Whose radar was he on? Uh? He's yeah, he was fast and.
Dad, but they found but they found a way to get him the ball, didn't He like, I'm not he not better than all the guys that we got no but they found a way to give him the ball against the team that we couldn't do it again.
True, So like that's why I'm like.
I don't believe it's on our wide receiver and receivers and their talent, like other teams are finding a way to get this type of stuff done with guys who who I believe have less talent and skill than the guys that are on our squad. All right, so I'm gonna stick a pin in it. I need a Barry Church in here for this because I know, I know my boy PC. But that's okay, you're still on this, Brandon Cooks. We'll circle back. We will circle back. I'll
agree to disagree. But, man, Michael Parsons, I gotta ask you, man, former a former NFL player, You've been in locker rooms, dog, you know what it's all about. When you have a guy like Michael Parsons, who is your star and your leader on your team, that does a podcast from his crib and his dungeon.
Called The Edge. Just a great podcast.
He voices all of his opinions on all things football and whatever else he feels as a as a as a former player. What are your thoughts about a superstar player on the caliber of Michael Parson's level doing a podcast week You know what, And I'm not gonna be a hypocrite here because I like Patrick Peterson does a podcast and I enjoyed, right, and he's to me body
at work. He's been in it doing this a lot longer than Michael Parsons, and I'm like, I appreciate his input and then his perspective on how some of the stuff that he talks about goes.
I think when you when you look.
At players in them having these podcasts, it depends on what type of attitude that player has, what type of character that player has, because then you as a coaching staff, for you as a teammates in the locker room, then you trust that most of the stuff, everything that they're going to say is going to be on the positive.
It's not going to affect the team. It's not going to right, no know what I'm saying, But you feel you feel more.
Positive about your superstars when they have that type of character and they have that type of maturity and all the positive things.
Right.
The issue is when you have a guy and I'm not saying this Michael Parson. I'm just when you have a guy who doesn't have that type of character and it's not mature and it's going to say all type of crazy stuff.
Then that's when you have to worry. And then maybe your coaching.
Staff has to come in and say, man, we probably gonna have to cut that out because because you're becoming a distraction right now. I don't think Michael Parsons is coming to distraction because one of the Dallas Cowboys. No matter what he does, what he says, or he says on the podcast or in the locker room, it's gonna
be on the headlines anyways. And he just you know, voicing his opinion some of the stuff he does say, because when he was on Twitter, he was saying more crazy stuff on Twitter that he said on his podcast.
So take it to the podcast though.
So I think for me, my feeling about it is like I understand what having a platform is all about. Everybody's all about branding. You know, what's my brand? What's my brand?
You know? And I'm building my brand.
When I look at Michael Parsons, his brand is destruction. It's chasing the linebacker, it's you're going to be one of the highest paid players in the NFL. You don't have to talk to nobody. You know, you don't have to talk. Let you up. I'm just saying, like if I was talking to my son, baby, just go ball, you know, lit Danny mccraig, hand of the talking. And you talk about pat P. Pat P is doing this at the end of his career.
He is done.
Pat P is he is leveraging to the next level. Okay, and that and that's fair. But then also like the thought process of the older generation which is now me as well, it's totally different than what these guys are seeing. And they said, like he might think he like one of the first big time guys to have his own podcast that early, right, So to him, he's setting the trend.
He's starting, he's starting his own thing. So, but that is the culture of today, Like what is it gen z because y'all had no podcast and all that back when y'all was doing this. Now this the radio show and then we didn't have it. But now I think that is going to be it's going to become a thing. It's going to be normalized like that. So I don't I don't think it's a big deal for him to
have it. Like I said, as long as he continues to spread positivity and make sure that the stuff that he says does not affect him and his team and his teammates or the organization, and you should have I don't have it.
I don't have issue with especially be balling. Now.
Now you go, he go out there and get six sex podcasts all day, podcast all day. He's like a coach. I don't care what you do, say what you want to on there. Okay, you got six sex yesterday.
Right.
But as long as he's the big bazooka and he continues to produce and teams have to focus on him, a double team.
On him, go out there in podcast. Man.
But the issue comes when if that ever stops, then people are gonna start coming at you like, hey, bro, you know.
How to you know, the fickle mob, the fickle mob. Here they come. Man.
But right now, you know, like you said, he balling, he's doing this thing. He got a podcast, he's having fun. And you look at you, man, you kind of sound like an old schooler right there.
You're going you're going back and forth. Man, you know the fist you're on the fist with it.
But when we come back, man, we're gonna talk to talk about our guy, Aubrey the Kicker. But I think I'm gonna have to give him to the Keto cliff Man. He had to make him an honorary member. Man because right now, bro hey Man, right now.
Kicker kick it coming up next on the players Louds.
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And they snapped the press guy who looks right, it's not there. He escapes left. He'll run for a first down, just like football.
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On the final segment of the Players loungecheck Maharrison, Danny McCrae stepped up to.
That, Glad you came in. I thought about that man.
You know my man BC's you know, you know how the big dog yolks on the text message, Man cowboy, I already know where you're at Calbury, Yeah, Cowboy Golf Club. But we're talking about my man the Kicker, and I ain't I don't want to Jinxon man. But did Brandon Aubrey honorary old Cliff member telling you this guy number seventeen, my man, the place kicker, came into the season with a lot of doubt on him. Nobody believed them, not even me. I've said that, like, where do we get
this guy from? And then all of a sudden, he's getting a nickname.
Butter.
They called him Butter. They called him but Butter. If this goes wrong, it's gonna you know, it's gonna it's gonna go wrong. Yes, Butter Aubrey man. But the thing about it is Danny he's sixteen for sixteen on his field goals. He's he's twelve or thirteen. I mean you, like, let me tell you something, brother, what you that commentator when Buddy shooting free throws and they're like, he's nine or nine tonight?
You that guy?
That guy what that he's one hundred four hundred.
The one time I mentioned.
A bad one too, don't please, please don't put this coboination. I didn't do it, Okay, I'm just pointing out the obvious that you're that this year and you're talking about all of your picks in the draft. Brandon Aubrey so far has been the shining light of everybody that you have in that draft class. So what does that say about your draft class? Now you gonna dislike me? You go dislike me when I when I give you ahead, it doesn't say it doesn't say much, doesn't say much.
I'm gonna say, let me tell you why, okay, because that is outstanding for any kicker in the NFL. That's justin Tucker esque. It is that is that is that's what these dudes are. When the kickers started getting all that money, and you're like, man, they paying these kickers. Dan Bailey was the first one here got paid all that money. And they been looking for Dan Bailey ever since. All right, we've been looking for a god when you say, no matter what, we have confidence in our kicker wherever
we put the ball that he gonna make it. That's what you got right now. And his team's drafting guys in the second round a kicker, right so you get him in free agency. That is a heck of a fine to find a guy who can get you like that. Sixteen to sixteen, sixteen for sixty sixteen, ain't missed. Come on, man, longest longest this year is from fifty five yards, man, and that gives you confidence in a position that I think coming into this season you had no idea what
you were gonna do. Outside of Masie Smith having nine sacks. That's about the only thing that could be better than picking him up like he Ricky the year he ricked a year for the Dallas Cowboys.
Right there, Man, my man, my man, ba all day.
I'm telling you, Butter, when you get butter on the front of your name, man, you got to be doing something good. I'm done with you, though, because because if anything goes south, don't blame you said that.
This is I'm trying to pick up after you, Butter.
Man. I'm not gonna say you. I'm not gonna say your stats man, You're doing the hell of a job. Heck, but did this to you? Okay he did? Until you shoot your free throws, So focus on focus on the rip. Hey, eight weeks after eight weeks, are your Are your preseason predictions going to change when we get back to when everybody gets back together and have an opportunity to make
changes on their picks. Are you gonna be that guy that's gonna make some changes because now you know the Cowboys have the sixth toughest schedule.
Yeah, but yeah, I mean I changed.
I've been changing them since the season starting, So yeah, they definitely gonna get changed. They gonna get you got some more changes, Yeah, because then I get to see this week too. So yes, I'm definitely gonna probably have a have a couple couple of switches.
Sam, Sam Cut.
The change gonna come when it come, when it come down to Daddy Craig.
My man appreciates you, dog. Good rocking with you. Man. We did that for forty five minutes.
We'll be back tomorrow at two pm Central Standard time for CBZ. In the Backham Hecmarrison. He's Dandy mccraig. This is the Players Lounge.
This has been a production of Dallascowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.